Joanna: The most surprising part of the labour was that it could be wonderful. I mean, I have such fond memories of it.

Alex: For me it was like ‘it’s not always like three, four, five days. With Joanna, basically from going to the hospital to giving birth was like eight, nine hours, so it’s not the stories you always hear about 36 hours or 48 hours of labour. Sometimes it can be much quicker.

Emma: What surprised me most about labour was that things can change vey quickly. I was having a home birth and was coping well at home with the contractions and the next thing we knew I was in hospital having a caesarean section. It never even crossed my mind that I could have a caesarean section. I was reading the books about a natural birth, birth without pain. Just letting yourself realise that there are a number of possibilities, there are a number of things that could happen – prepare yourself for those possibilities.

Sheldon: Having a back-up plan for your plan.

Joanna: I wish I hadn’t gone crazy in the shops before she arrived because the shops are open afterwards as well.

Sheldon: It’s easy to get carried away though isn’t it?

Joanna: Yeah it is!

Sheldon: You see all these things and you think ‘ooh, I wish I could have had that, wish I could have had that!’ I would say probably the most surprising thing for me was that I didn’t get to try the gas and air.

Joanna: Oh you should!

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